Mail-carrying cabinet.



No. 825,456. PATENTBD JULY 10, 1906. H. D. HAGKNEY.

MAIL GARBYHIG CABINET.

APPLICATION TILED 3501,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 PATENTED JULY 1 1906. H. n. HAGKNBY.

MAIL CARRYING GABINET. APPLIBATIMI 1-11.21) 1mm. was.

a same-333m z PETENTED JULY 10 1906.

H. D. HACKNEY. MAIL CARRYING:- GABINET.

APPLIGATION FILED 11120.1, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

50-, I'ulunmx, 1 c.

-vide a cabinet HIRAM D. HACKNEY, OF SEDGWlCK, KANSAS.

MAIL-CARRYING CABINET- Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented July 10, 1906.

Application filed December 7; 1935 Serial No. 290,863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM D. HACKNEY a. citizen of the United States, residin wick, in the county of Harvey and State of Kansas, have invented a new and usefnl Mail- C g Cabinet, of which the following is s.

speclfication. 7 The invention relates to a mail-carrying cabinet for rural routes.

The object of the present inventionis to improve the construction of mail-carrying devices and to provide a. simple and comparwhich and durable an adepty carried and capable of common buggy, or other willbe light, strong ed to be convenientl use in e mail-wagon, vehicle.

.A. further object of the invention is to proof this character having suitable compartments for holding cash, stamps postal cards, envelope, money order on registereddetter blanks, and the like, and prov1 accompanying ed also with convenient means for holding the mail for distribution and the mail-matter collected.

The invention also has for its obg'eet to provide convenient means for enabling the mailmstter for distribution to be conveniently assorted while driving from one point or box to another.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in. the construction and novel combination and arren ement of parts hereinafter fully described, i ustrated in the drawings, 7 the claims hereto eppenderh it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within t e sco e of the claims may be resorted to without sporting from the spirit or sacrificing any of vention. u I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a; mail-carrying cabinet constructed in accordance with this invention, the top box being closed. Fig. 2 is a; simllsrview, the cover of the top box being opened toprovide a receptacle. 3 is'a'verticel sectionel view taken subs'tantiell on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a. vertic sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. "5 is a detail per eotive view of one side of one of the upper 0 amps for holding mailznetter. Fi 6 is a perspective view showing the me. '-ca.n'ying cabinet provided with at Sedgand pointed out in the advantages of the a. hinged front or door, the latter being swung down to form a writing table or desk.

Like numerals of reference desifgnete corresponding parts in all the figures o the drawings... V

' The mail cabinet or casing 1, which is isdpted to be placed in a buggy or other vehicle against the dashboard, so es to be within es. reach ofe person seated in the vehicle, LS provided withs fiat horizontal bottom 2 and vertical side walls 3, which are connected at the back by a. rear wall 4. The front of the cabinet or casing is 0 en, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and t e reexwell is extended above the side walls, which have mounted u on them a. top box 5. The top box 5, whic is suitably secured upon the upper edges of the side walls 3 at the rear portion of the cabinet, is also fastened to the extended portion of the rear wall 4; but the latter may be constructed in any other desired manner, as will be readily understood. The box 5, which is oblong, is provided with a, cover 6, hinged at the front at 7 and tapered rearwardly, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The end walls of the body portion of the box are also tapered, and when the cover 6 is swun forward and downward to c on the box the receptacles formed b both 2; e cover and the body of the box will be fully exposed and in convenient (position for use. The box is designed to 1101 packages and to receive the mail collected on the route endisprovided with a movable or adjustable Z partition 8, hevin a. bottom plate 9 slideble on the bottom 0% the box and adapted to maintain the partition 8 in an upright position. The pertition 8 me be conveniently moved up against the otters and similar mail-matter collected for supporting the some edgewise within the box in convenient POSItiOII. for

handling. The cover when closed is secured by a. hook 10 and an eye 11; but any other suitable fastening devices may be employed, as will be reedily nnderstood.

7 The cabinet isprovided at opposite sides of the center with vertical ertitions 12, which are spaced from the sidb walls and which have their u per edges arranged in the some horizontal plane as the upper ed es of the side walls to, assist in supporting e box 5. The side speees between the vertical 7 tions 12 and the side walls 3 are divided by horizontal partitions 13 into large upper mail receiving compartments and small 19 extending lower assorting-compartments 14, adapted to receive individual mail-matter to enable the same to be assorted and conveniently arranged while the carrier is driving from one box or point ,to another. The mall-matter is securely held within large mail-receiving com artments by means of clamps 16, i

whic are substantially U shaped. The clamps 16 consist of transverse en aging portions and sides 17, rovided at t eir upper ends with spring-coils 18 and having arms from the coils and engagin the bottom of t e box 5. The spring-coils orm eyes and are arranged on a pintle-rod 20, which extends across the s ace between the vertical partitions 12 and tlie side Walls 3 at the back thereof. The clamps extend downward and forward, and the transverse engaging portions are centrally coiled to form loops 21 for enabling them to be readily lifted out of engagement with the mail-matter.

The intermediate space between the vertical partitions 12 is divided by horizontal partitions 22 and 23 into upper and lower compartments for the reception of drawers 24 and 25. The upper partltion 22 is spaced from the u per edges of the vertical parti tions 12, W ch are also connected by cros s pieces 26 and 27, arranged on the horizontal partition 22 and spaced apart to rovide a recess for the reception of a cas box 28. The cash-box 28, which is provided with a centrally-arranged handle 29, is removably fitted in the recess and is adapted to be readily lifted out of the same. The top drawer maybe conveniently utilized for holding money-order blanks and blanks for registering letters and parcels, and the lower drawer, which is rovided with a false bottom 30, is especlally adapted for holding stain s, envelo s, postal cards, receipts, and the li e. rear end with suitable pivots 31, and it is supported in its closed position by front and rear transverse bars or cleats 32 and 33.

The back of the cabinet is provided with a centrally-arranged concave face 34 to fit the body of the person carryin it and is adapted to be suspended from the s oulder of the carrier by means of a stra 35, having a buckle 36 for adjusting it an provided at its ends with snap-hooks 37, which engage suitable eyes 38 of the ends of the cabinet. The concave ortion may be of any desired depth, and t e cabinet may be conveniently constructed of wood or any other suitable material. The box is provided at its rear face with buttons 39 for the attachment of an oilcloth or other suitable cover for protecting it from the weather. The buttons prefer ably project from the cover of the box. The mall-carrying cabinet may, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, be provided with a hinged front or door 40, deslgned to be constructed of galvanized sheet metal or other The alse bottom is provided at its I suitable material and adapted when closed to cover the front of the case and a portion of the top of the same, and thereby obviate the necessity of employing an oil-cloth or other cover, as only a small portion of the top will be left exposed.

The hinged front or door 40 is connected at its inner or lower edge by hinges 41. with the flat horizontal bottom 2 of the cabinet, and it is provided. at the side edges and at the upper or outer edge with flanges 42 and 43. The side flanges 42 fit against the sides 3 of the cabinet when the hinged front or door 40 is closed, and the other flange 43 extends inward over the top of the cablnet at the u per edges of the sides 3. When the hinged out or door is swung downward to the position illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, it forms a convenient writing table or desk for making out receipts, money-orders, and the like an for assorting and reassorting the mail.

The hinged front or door may be supported in a horizontal position by suitable chains, (not shown,) eyes 44 being provided for enabling the chains to be readily connected with the door. Curved supporting-bars 45 are preferable. These bars are secured at their outer ends to the side flanges of the hinged front or door by rivets 46 or other suitable fastening devices, and their inner ends, which are rovided with suitable stops 47, are extended through openings of guides 48, which are mounted on the mail-carrying cabinet at the ends thereof. These curve supporting-bars and the guides permit the hinged front or door to be readily o ened and closed and support the same in a liorizontal position.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-carrying cabinet having spaces or compartments for the reception of mailmatter and provided at the to with a box havin a cover hinged at the out and arrange when open, upon the side walls of the cabinet, whereby it is adapted to serve as an additional compartment.

2. A mail-carrying cabinet provided at the top with a box consisting of a body portion, and a hinged cover su ported, when 0 en, by the cabinet to provide an additiona compartment.

3. A mail-carrying cabinet provided at the top with a box consisting of a body portion, and a hinged cover su ported, when 0 en, by the cabinet to provide an additiona compartment, said body portion and cover being reversely ta ered.

4. A ma' -carr ng cabinet, comprising a bottom, side an rear walls, vertical artitions mounted on the bottom of the ca inet and spaced apart, horizontal partitions connecting the vertical partitions and forming drawerreceiving spaces, cross-pieces connecting the gartitions and forming a recess, and e the vertical partitions and the side walls, and remove 1e receptacle mounted in the recess. a plurality of drawers mounted between the 5. A meil-eerr ing cabinet, comprising a. vertieei partitions.

bottom, side and reer walls, verticai perti- In testimony that I claim the feregeing as 15 5 tiens mounted on the bottoms and having my own I have hereto affixed my signature their C gipperferillgee (iin theilsamejplene as thelupin the presence of two witnesses.

ere ese t eei ewe s, e oxmounte on Eire si e Walls and the partitions and having HIRAM HACKNEY a. hinged cover arranged to be sup orted by Witnesses: 10 the said side walls and partitions, fiorizentel S. M. SPANGLER,

partitions arranged in the spaces between i S. R. MOARTHUR. 

